New, improved Wi-Fi is coming: Ready your devices now!

In support of the campus priority to align our resources to our mission, new, more secure and stable Wi-Fi networks are replacing UCB Wireless and UCB Guest across the CU Boulder campus. In order to use the new CU Secure network that is replacing UCB Wireless, all students, faculty and staff will need to register their devices in advance so they can connect. Computers enrolled in the campus’s Secure Computing program are already registered for CU Secure and do not need to be updated to use CU Secure. Check if your computer is enrolled in the Secure Computing program.

Register now!

Before the end of the fall semester, you should register your laptops, smartphones and tablets on CU Secure by installing the required CU Secure certificate.

Some buildings already have the new Wi-Fi

CU Secure and CU Guest will replace UCB Wireless and UCB Guest respectively in all campus buildings before the start of the spring semester. You can find both new networks in some campus test buildings already, including Wolf Law, Koelbel, and Roser ATLAS. The University Memorial Center, Farrand Hall, Williams Village North and Smith Hall are being switched to the new Wi-Fi in early November. During the break between the fall and spring semesters, all other campus buildings will be switched over, which is why it is important to register your devices before you leave campus for the break. See the full list and go-live dates on the project webpage. Wired networks and eduroam won’t be affected by any of these changes.

CU Secure improvements

Like UCB Wireless, CU Secure is designed for all CU Boulder affiliates with an active IdentiKey. Like UCB Guest, CU Guest is designed for those who visit our campus and only provides basic web and email access.

CU Secure was designed with the following improvements in mind:

• Less frequent registrations – CU Secure uses certificate-based authentication, so you will only need to register every two years. It is also immune to device settings like Apple's Private Wi-Fi Address, which causes dropped campus Wi-Fi connections by repeatedly prompting users to log in.
• Strong encryption – Unlike UCB Wireless, CU Secure uses enterprise-grade, end-to-end encryption to protect your data.
• Self-management of devices - Unlike UCB Wireless, CU Secure will allow you the ability to self-manage gaming consoles and smart devices so you can connect them to CU Guest. See more information under the “Connecting business-critical, gaming and smart devices” heading.

These features will make using the new networks a better experience, but the changeover could make connecting difficult for users who don't preinstall the CU Secure certificate on personal and non-Secure Computing devices before buildings shift to the new networks.

Connecting business-critical, gaming and smart devices

Business-critical consumer Wi-Fi devices (e.g., Wi-Fi scanners, temperature sensors) that currently connect to UCB Wireless will have their records moved to the new networks and should connect either automatically or after a reboot or reset. If you brought a personal consumer Wi-Fi device to campus (e.g., gaming console, smart TV, smart speaker), you must self-register it through the Specialty Wi-Fi Devices Portal. To reach the portal, make sure to use a non-guest CU Boulder internet connection, like UCB Wireless, CU Secure, eduroam or the campus VPN.

More information and support

Learn more about these changes by visiting the project page and the CU Secure Wi-Fi and CU Guest Wi-Fi webpages. For technical support, please contact your IT support technician, Buff Techs or the IT Service Center at 303-735-4357 or oithelp@colorado.edu.